This invention is directed to an apparatus for automatically orienting finger cookies or other similar shaped bakery goods supplied in an upright condition and turning the groups of cookies flat and depositing them onto a conveyor for packaging or other forms of wrapping.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,859 dated Dec. 13, 1966 and entitled "Tray Loader" discloses what is now a commercial form of tray loader, which has been extremely efficient in loading round cookies or cookies of other similar shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,073 dated Oct. 7, 1980 discloses another form of commercial and successful apparatus for tray loading rectangular cookies, which cannot be loaded by the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,859 without the danger of damaging the cookies as dropped at the drop station. The loading apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,073 is also designed to prevent chute "jam-up" when the apparatus is loading square cookies which prevents the breakage or waste of the cookies and efficiently loads square cookies or other cookies of like shapes for loading onto trays.
The apparatus of the present invention differ from those briefly discussed in that it is particularly adapted for orienting counted groups of bakery products, such as finger cookies and like elongated fragile articles for deposit on their sides onto a wrapping conveyor in a sequential orderly manner and prevent crumbling or damage to the products.